Newlyweds
by BobR
Summary: In which Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka get to spend some quality time together.
1. Leave-taking

Disclaimer

Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  I don't own any rights to them.  Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.

*****

Newlyweds

Chapter 1

Leave-taking

*****

Tenchi made his way slowly downstairs as his two new brides slept.  After all the excitement of the day before, he wasn't surprised that they were still in bed.   And after yesterday and last night, he was amazed at the energy he felt himself.  He glanced around the living room at the mess left from the party yesterday and saw the ruler of the greatest Empire in the galaxy still sleeping on the couch, the two Guardians watching over him.  He smiled and nodded to the wooden robots, thinking that after the events of the past year it didn't seem odd at all.  He heard Sasami in the kitchen making breakfast for the household and wandered in that direction.

*****

"Morning Sasami," he said as he entered the little princess' domain.

She looked up from the pot she was stirring, Ryo-ohki perched in her usual position on the princess' head.  "Good morning Tenchi," she replied, then giggled.  "Did you have a good time yesterday?"

Tenchi dipped a finger into the mixture and tasted it.  He smiled, "Yeah, but there sure were a lot of surprises.  Especially about Washu."

She smiled back, "Yeah, but I think Tsunami already knew.  She didn't act surprised at all, you know."  Sasami turned back to her cooking.  "Are Ayeka and Ryoko coming down for breakfast?  I'm making it special, just for you three; everyone else is still asleep." 

Tenchi grinned, thinking about his two brides and remembering the night before.  "Yep,  I'll go wake them up in a few minutes and they'll be down in a little bit."

Sasami giggled again, "I guess they're too worn out from the wedding night."

Tenchi looked at her in shock, blushing.  She glanced back at him, grinning at his expression she said, "Oh Tenchi.  Don't look so surprised.  Juraians start their marriage education early.  Besides, I've been reading some of your father's comic books, but don't tell my sister, ok?"

He shook his head, stifling a laugh, knowing that the _really_ dirty books were well hidden from young eyes.  "I should've known.  Ok, your secret's safe."

A timer dinged.  "You might want to go wake them up now though, breakfast'll be ready in about twenty minutes."

*****

Washu peeked out of her lab's portal and saw Tenchi approaching.  She grabbed his arm as he passed by and dragged him into the lab.  The door quickly shut, muffling his scream.

*****

Washu grinned from ear to ear as she "helped" a struggling Tenchi though the lab.

"Washu!  Let me go!  I have to tell Ayeka and your daughter that breakfast is ready." Tenchi pleaded as he bounced along behind Washu.

"In a minute son-in-law, in a minute," the small redhead replied, dragging him deeper into her domain.

"Listen, we're supposed to start out honeymoon today, I don't have time for this now."

"Oh, we have plenty of time, don't worry.  Besides, I think you'll find this interesting."  She dropped him like sack of bricks.  "Now, we need to talk."

He sat up, rubbing the back of his head.  "About what, Little Washu?"

She turned away from him and did something to a control panel.  "About my daughter, and you, and the princess.  And what's going to happen in the future."

"Is this a goddess thing?" he asked.

"No, this is a mother thing.  I need to know what Ryoko's told you and Ayeka about herself," she said, turning back to face him. 

Tenchi gave her a strange look.  "I think it's a little late for this talk.  We were married yesterday, remember?"

"Yes, I remember, believe me I remember.  Anyway that's not it, or at least I assume that things worked normally last night?"

Tenchi turned bright red, "Uh, I guess so."

"Wadda ya mean 'I guess so'?  Either they did, or my daughter's still a virgin the day after her wedding."  Washu teased.

"You… You knew that Ryoko…?"

The scientist laughed.  "Of course I did.  I'm her mom after all.  Anyway, that's part of why I wanted to see you.  There're some other things about Ryoko you should know and I don't know if she had the heart to tell you."

"Like what Washu?"

"Well, did she tell you that she can't have children the normal way?"

"Yes, she also told me that you could help when the time comes."

"Yeah, well that's true."  Washu paused for a moment and seated herself on a convenient floating cushion.  "Ryoko has some emotional problems as well.  She's still something of a child, as I'm sure you've noticed.  She might not know how to behave properly in some of the places the princess will want to go.  I don't want her to embarrass you."

Tenchi shot up from the floor.  "Don't you think Ayeka and I already know that.  Do you think we can't deal with Ryoko's social skills?  Do you believe Ryoko herself doesn't know her shortcomings?  I think you don't give her enough credit Washu.  She's already asked us to help her learn how to act correctly around others."

Washu looked down, hiding her expression.

Seeing that he'd hurt Washu's feelings, he went on more quietly. "Little Washu, I know you missed her all those years and I know that she was hurt badly by not having a mother figure to learn from.  But she's an adult.  She needs to make her own decisions; she's 5000 years old and even if she hasn't had a lot of experience in social situations, she hasn't been living in a cave either."  He paused, thinking about what he'd just said.  "Er, perhaps I should rephrase that… well anyway, you know what I mean."

"Yes, believe me, I do.  I'm sorry you got angry.  I just want what's best for Ryoko and you guys.  I don't want her to feel alienated."

Tenchi put his arms around her and squeezed.  "Apology accepted.  Neither Ayeka or me will allow that to happen."  He let her go and turned toward where he remembered the entrance to be.  "If there's nothing else…"

"Well, there is one more thing," Washu said, looking up with an evil grin.

Tenchi scratched his head, "Ha.  I knew there was something else.  What is it?"

Washu produced a syringe from subspace.  "Just this Tenchi."

Tenchi held up his hands and began to back away.  "No samples today Washu.  I, um, still need to recharge from last night if you know what I mean."

The scientist laughed, "Oh, this isn't for that last sample.  I'll get that when you and Ryoko decide to have kids.  No, this is something else, let's just say it's a wedding gift from me, just for you."

"If it's a stimulant, I don't need it.  I'm still young; maybe in a few years."

She laughed again.  "If what I suspect is true, you'd better make that a few centuries or maybe even millennia.  But it's not that either.  I got the idea for this stuff from a TV show.  In addition to a vaccination for off-world viruses, these're translator microbes, they live in your central nervous system and make certain synaptic connections that allow you to understand any spoken language, anywhere."

"I'll be able to speak any language?" Tenchi asked in wonder.

"No, you'll be able to _understand_ any language.  Speaking a language requires learning it first.  And there are some languages your vocal apparatus just can't handle."

"What about Ryoko?  And Ayeka?"  Tenchi asked.

Washu thought for a minute before answering.  "Well, Ryoko's brain processes languages differently from most others.  It's like she has a built-in translator function.  And she'll be able to speak most audible languages as well, since her vocal cords are different than yours.  Ayeka, on the other hand, now that's different.  Jurai has an embassy or consulate on most inhabited worlds and she'll know how to contact them, Japanese and Juraian languages aren't all that different so that shouldn't be a problem for you either.  She also has language training that you don't have.  Between your two wives, you won't have a problem communicating anywhere you go."

"Then why do I need the translator?  If I always have Ryoko with me, I don't need them."

"True, but wouldn't you like to know what's going on?  And what happens if you get separated from the others?  If you don't want the injection, I got another idea from a book; it's a fish you stick in your ear…"

"Uh, I'll take the shot please Little Washu."

"Heh, I thought you might.  Bare your arm please."

*****

"Are there any side effects?" Tenchi asked as he rubbed the sore spot on his arm.

Washu smiled at him, "Not that I'm aware of, except you might get a slight headache each time you hear a new language.  Does your head hurt right now?"

"Yeah, a little.  Why?"

"Because I've been talking to you in my native language.  It's nothing like Japanese or Juraian and you didn't even notice!  The microbes really work.  I am a genius!  Hahahahaha!"  Washu cackled.

Tenchi looked at her, stunned.  "You mean you never even tested this?"

"Well, _you_ are my guinea pig, aren't you?  Besides, I ran hundreds of simulations; you don't really think I'd put you in any danger do you?  Ryoko would never forgive me. Oh, and this is our little secret, ok Tenchi?"

Washu hopped down from the cushion and the two walked towards the exit.  

"Little Washu, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Tenchi, we're related now after all.  Wadda ya want to know?"

"It's about Lady Tokimi.  What's she going to do now?  I mean, she can stay as long as she wants, but won't she be bored living here?"

"Yeah, but she probably won't be staying long.  She'll find something that interests her and follow it.  You know, Tsunami has her trees, I have my science, Tokimi'll just have to find a hobby too.  It may not even be here on Earth, although it probably will be, at least for a while."

"Where is she now?" Tenchi asked.

"Oh, around the lab somewhere, all this is new to her you know.  She'll be spending time in my library too, she has a lot to learn before she's ready to directly interact with mortals; Skuld and Urd have promised to help her as well.  Living in a city, they've had more recent experience than myself or Tsunami, although Urd may be a bad influence."

Tenchi chuckled at the thought of the young goddess actually having the patience to help someone.  The few times he had talked to Skuld, she hadn't impressed him with her tolerance for mistakes.  Perhaps having Washu for a teacher would change that.  And he agreed with her about Urd too.

*****

Ryoko's eyes popped open and she stretched her arms over her head as she yawned, then sighed with contentment.  Last night had been just as wonderful as she'd imagined.  She stretched again.  Her hands bumped into a soft body behind her.

"'Morning my darling," she heard a soft voice say sleepily.  Grinning mischievously, she rolled over.  "Good morning honey.  Did you enjoy last night?"

"Mmmm.  Yes, I…  Oh.  Ryoko!  What…?  Where's Tenchi?"  Princess Ayeka sat up suddenly.

Ryoko gave Ayeka's uncovered body an appreciative look.  The Juraian seemed to be positively glowing this morning.  "Oh, knowing him, he's probably been up for a while."  She sniffed the air.  "Smells like breakfast's about ready.  Time to get up I guess."  Ryoko yawned again, phasing into her daily clothing.  "Come on princess, I'm hungry."  She grabbed Ayeka's hand and lifted her to her feet.

"Wait!  Ryoko, I'm nake…  Oh."  She saw that the ex-pirate had teleported them to the room she'd shared with Sasami up until yesterday.  She walked over to the closet.  "I guess I'll get dressed then."

*****

Washu joined the trio for breakfast.  "Ryoko, Ayeka, I'd like to see you both in my lab after you're done eating.  I have a few things to go over with you and I want to give you a quick checkup before you leave.  Yes, you need one too princess, I've already done Tenchi's."

Ryoko gave her mother a wary look.  "What's the medical checkup for mom?  I think we're all pretty healthy."

"You're going off-planet Ryoko, I wanna make sure none of you are carrying any contagious diseases in your body.  Even something mild like the common cold could become an epidemic on a planet where there's no immunity.  And I'll give you a broad-spectrum antibiotic to prevent any alien viruses from infecting you as well.  I'm not as concerned about you or Ayeka contracting something as I was about Tenchi, but any of you could be carriers."  Washu explained.

*****

"Ok, now what's the reason you wanted to see us alone?"  Ryoko asked as she and Ayeka entered the lab.

"Pretty much exactly as I said," replied Washu, producing two large pills.  "Each of you take one of these and it'll serve to kill any Earth viruses in your bodies.  It's also a booster for your natural immunity to other diseases.  Be grateful, Tenchi got an injection."

_I know you better than that mom.  What's the _real_ reason you wanted us down here? _ Ryoko asked mentally.

_You're right, there is another reason Ryoko, _ Washu beamed back.  Aloud she said, "And I want to ask a special favor of both of you, but especially you Ayeka.  Keep an eye on Tenchi.  As powerful as he is, he's still from this backwater little world and doesn't understand how to deal with alien societies yet.  Don't let him wander off alone if you can help it.  And as for you Ryoko, there are plenty of long-lived species that'll still remember you from before.  Even though the Juraians've forgiven you, not everyone else has; you need to be on your best behavior.  Don't draw any unnecessary attention to yourselves and remember, no one except for a few of us here even know you're married; someone'll probably think you kidnapped the princess for ransom.  As embarrassing as it seems, it wouldn't hurt for the two of you and Tenchi to be seen holding hands and showing affection in public occasionally."

Ryoko and Ayeka looked at each other, not having considered this before.  "Yes ma'am," they both said at the same time.

*****

It was a little after midday and Ryo-ohki hovered overhead, thrumming quietly as the three newlyweds said their goodbyes.  Azusa was still a little unsteady as Ayeka kissed her parents and hugged Sasami; Ryoko got a hug from Sasami too, as well as Washu and a weeping Mihoshi.  Tenchi shook everyone's hand and ended up being almost mauled by Misaki.  

_Ok Ryo-ohki, we're ready, _ Ryoko beamed to her partner.  A shaft of light of light shot down enveloping the three and they faded upwards toward the cabbit-ship and their future.

*****

To be continued

*****

Author's Notes

Ok, I decided to go back and fill in some details from the honeymoon (get yer minds out of the gutter, there'll be none of that sort of stuff in here) since I left a teaser at the beginning of Chapter 5 of the _Conversations II_ story (yes, that's the chapter I said you could ignore, but no one ever listens to me anyway…).  

Each chapter in this story will deal with one episode from that time and will concentrate on Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka.  None of them except this one will take place on Earth; some will be space adventures and others will take place on various planets.  They will be in a loose chronological order and may not directly follow each other time wise, much as in my other stories.  

Except for a brief mention of Skuld and Urd, I left the other goddesses out of this so as not to confuse anyone who hasn't read my other stories and I promise the other Tenchi characters (and maybe the goddesses too) will have more to do in the next story, which I think, as of today anyway, will focus on Washu's search for the origin of the other cabbits.

BobR

11/26/2001


	2. Adventures on the Beach

Disclaimer

Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  I don't own any rights to them.  Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.

*****

Newlyweds

Chapter 2

Adventures on the Beach

*****

Ryo-ohki sped through space, approaching their first destination; a resort planet purported to have pristine beaches and plenty for the odd (or not so odd) tourist to do.  Ayeka had heard of this place long ago, but had never been there.  The Jurai royal family did own some prime beachfront property (meaning several large islands) there though, along with a "small" beach house of about 60,000 sq. ft, complete with serving staff, on one of the major land masses.

"So, tell us about this planet princess.  What's the native life like?  The weather and such?"  Ryoko asked.

Ayeka cleared her throat.  "Ahem.  The planet Panalon.  Well, it's basically one big resort.  The planet is mostly very shallow sea with two small continents and a lot of little islands scattered about.  The weather is pretty consistent as there is little axial tilt, thus mild seasonal changes.  Overall, the average temperature is sub-tropical.  This planet's native life is fairly standard as far as plants and small animals, but the single native intelligent species; although humanoid, mammalian and air breathing; lives in the water, much like dolphins and whales on Earth.  The planet is a Jurai protectorate, but isn't isolated like the Earth.  We'll see many different species here."

"Jeez Ayeka, that's pretty good.  You actually remembered all of that?"

The princess produced a computer printout from inside her robes and glanced at it.  "Not really, I had Miss Washu look it up for me before we left."

*****

The Juraian compound had a private shuttle port and this is where Ryo-ohki set them down.  They were greeted by a small group of planetary officials and Tenchi and Ryoko got their first look at a native.  They were definitely humanoid and mammalian, but there was webbing between the digits of their hands and feet, with the fingers and toes being slightly longer than a human's.  Both males and females had short, dark hair and a light pink skin tone.  

The princess whispered to her two spouses.  "Normally the natives don't wear clothing, but when out of the water for long periods they do.  It's specially designed to help keep their skin from drying out.  It's uncomfortable for them here in the bright sun though, so we'd best hurry with the formalities."

The alien that appeared to be in charge spoke up, in accentless Juraian.  "Welcome Princess Ayeka.  We hope you and your friends enjoy your stay on our beautiful world.  My name is unpronounceable in your language, so you may call me Melna, I am the planetary liaison for Juraian interests here and I will be attending to all your needs.  The woman to my left is Wafun; she is in charge of the Juraian properties and is my wife.  The gentleman on my right is Rugnet.  He is from our Bureau of Tourism.  And last is Hedri.  She is our Customs and Immigration agent here at the Juraian compound."

Each bowed deeply as they were introduced.

Ayeka smiled and nodded in response.  "Allow me to introduce my companions.  This gentleman is Crown Prince Tenchi, my husband.  And the other lady is Ryoko, the prince's second wife."

Ryoko grumbled at the title "second wife", but otherwise kept her mouth shut.

The customs inspector, Hedri, looked closely at the ex-pirate.  "Ryoko?  There was an infamous pirate by that name running loose near here several centuries ago.  But she's probably long dead by now.  It's for certain you're not her."

Ryoko gave her a feral grin, exposing her fangs.  "Nope, that wasn't me.  Really."

Hedri turned to the princess, "We will need to inspect your ship and crew…"

Ryo-ohki jumped up to perch on Tenchi's head.

"Oh, I didn't know you brought a pet with you.  Has it had all it's immunizations?  Wait!  Where did your ship go?  It was there a minute ago…" Hedri looked confused.

"Oh, they had some other errands to run, they'll be back for us when we call.  And I personally guarantee that the cabbit is up-to-date on its shots."  Tenchi said quickly.

"Miya!" Ryo-ohki agreed.

Melna stood grinning and shaking his head in disbelief.  Unlike the others, he had seen Ryo-ohki transform and guessed correctly about Ryoko.  But if the princess wasn't going to mention it, he wasn't going to either.  He caught the princess looking at him.  She smiled and nodded, then turned back to Ryoko and Hedri.

"Well, this is highly irregular…" the agent began.

Ryoko interrupted her, "Look Headache, or whatever your name is.  Can we hurry this up?  It's been a long trip, I'm tired and you look uncomfortable as hell standing there in the sun."

"Er, I suppose that without anything to inspect, you're all free to come and go as you please.  Welcome to Panalon."

"Great, let's all go into the house and get something cool to drink."  Ryoko walked up to Rugnet and took his arm, startling him.  "So tell me," she said to him as they walked away, "just what is there for a girl to do around here anyway?"

Tenchi sighed as he and the others followed the two.

*****

"A topless beach?" Ayeka's mouth fell open.  "There is no way that I will ever be seen in public at that sort of place."

Ryoko turned to the princess, "Listen, I've seen you naked remember?  Even though you're not exactly well-endowed, you've got nothing to be ashamed of either.  Come on, it'll be fun!"

"No!  Absolutely not!  Never!  No way!"

Tenchi spoke up.  "Uh, Ryoko?  I'll have to side with Ayeka on this.  I don't think it'd be proper for two Juraian princesses to be seen parading around half-naked on a public beach."

"Two?"  Ryoko was puzzled.  "Oh, right.  I guess I'm a princess now too.  I keep forgetting."  She got a grumpy look on her face, then suddenly brightened.  "Hey!  If we can't go around _half_-naked, there's a _totally_ nude beach a little farther down along the coast…"

"NO!"  Tenchi and Ayeka yelled in unison.

Ryoko pouted, "Damn.  You guys are no fun."

*****

Ryoko lay back on the sand and watched as Tenchi and Ayeka splashed each other in the shallow water, then kissed.  She could get used to this she thought, as she took another sip of some mildly alcoholic drink a beach vendor had concocted for her.  Being the only occupants of the Juraian residence had gotten old real fast, so they had started visiting the public beaches.  So far, no one had recognized either her or Ayeka.  Which was fine with both of them, it allowed them to mingle with the public and pretend like they were normal tourists.

A shadow fell over her as two rather large men in uniform approached.  The rest of the beach crowd suddenly expressed an interest in anything but her.  She lowered her sunglasses onto the end of her nose and looked up at them.  "May I help you officers?"

"Are you Ryoko?" the smaller of the two (although not by much) asked.

"That's my name, yes."

"Space Pirate Ryoko?" this from the larger one.

_Uh, oh. _ Ryoko thought, then answered, "No, I think that person died a long time ago.  I'm not her."

"That remains to be seen.  If you'll come with us there are some people at the station who would like to talk to you.  Please."  The last word was spoken through gritted teeth.

_Shit.  Someone recognized me. _  "Certainly officer.  May I tell my friends where I'm going?" she asked, gesturing toward Tenchi and Ayeka.

"I don't think that would be a good idea.  Stand up please."  A set of handcuffs appeared.

_Tenchi, we have a small problem here, _ she beamed at her husband, hoping that the inconsistent mental link she'd been forming with him was working this once.  She stood up and brushed a little bit of sand off her legs and backside.

"Excuse me, what seems to be the problem?  Has my wife done something wrong?"

_Tenchi! _  Ryoko turned around and sure enough, both Tenchi and Ayeka were standing there.  Ayeka had her arms crossed and a _really_ pissed-off look was on her face.  Ryoko grinned.

The smaller man turned to Tenchi.  "If you're her husband, you'd better come with us too," he said, producing another pair of handcuffs.

"What have we done?"  Tenchi asked.

"This is the Space Pirate Ryoko.  She's wanted for various crimes all over Juraian space," was the reply.

"I suggest you two leave immediately," Ayeka said very quietly, the air beginning to shimmer around her head.

"Little lady, _I_ suggest _you_ stay out of this.  Now stand back please.  These two are under arrest."

That did it.  Ayeka's power logs popped into existence and surrounded the group, energy crackling between them.  People on the beach began to back quickly away.

"Do you know who you're dealing with?" Ayeka quietly asked the larger of the two.

His eyes darted wildly around as he tried to keep control of the situation.  "No, nor do I care.  I think you should probably come along too."

"_I_ think not.  I am Ayeka, First Princess of the House of Jurai.  This is my husband Tenchi, Crown Prince of that House and as you have indeed surmised, this is the Space Pirate Ryoko, now a Princess of Jurai herself.  If you feel that you are strong enough to handle all of us, then by all means please try.  I haven't had a good fight in weeks."

"Ayeka…" Tenchi begged.

Her eyes flashed at him.  "No, my love, these _gentlemen_ have seen fit to insult me, my family and my house.  I demand satisfaction."

Both police officers were now shifting from foot to foot, nervously eyeing the small wooden objects circling around them.  Sirens could be heard approaching the beach from the city.

Ryoko chuckled.  "I really hope that's an ambulance I hear.  I think you're going to need one, real soon."  Her energy blade hissed into existence.

"Girls, don't hurt them.  They're just doing their job." Tenchi tried to reason with his wives.

"We…" said Ryoko.

"Don't…" said Ayeka.

"Care!" said both.

(Somewhere in another reality a small, redheaded woman and a dark-haired bimbo in a leather bikini both sneezed.)

The girls turned back to the policemen, but both officers were already halfway back to their vehicle.

"Azaka!  Kamidake!" yelled Ayeka, forgetting that the Guardians were still on Earth with Sasami.  "Darn.  They got away."

Ryoko's sword and Ayeka's power logs faded away and the two girls sat down heavily on the sand.

Ryoko felt a light tap on her shoulder.  Looking up, she saw a little girl with midnight-blue hair nervously standing there.  "Yes?"

"Um, are you…  are you really the Space Pirate Ryoko?" the girl squeaked out.

Ryoko sighed.  "Yep, but I'm retired now.  What can I do for you?"

The little girl gave a tentative smile and held out a piece of paper and a pen.  "Can…  can I have your autograph?"

Ayeka fell over and began twitching; Tenchi fainted.

*****

Melna interrupted Ayeka's reading, "Lady Ayeka, there are some gentlemen here from the local constabulary to see you.  They also wish to see Lady Ryoko and Lord Tenchi.  Something about an incident this afternoon."

Ayeka put down her book.  "Ah yes.  Please show them in, and inform Ryoko and Lord Tenchi."

Melna ushered the four men into Ayeka's presence.  Two were obviously official types, while the other two were the officers from that afternoon.  Tenchi and Ryoko soon entered as well, drawing sideways looks from the two officers.

"Lady Ayeka, Lady Ryoko, Prince Tenchi," began one if the men in plain clothes, "we are here to offer a formal apology for the actions of these two patrol officers.  They acted upon information from a street informant without verifying it first.  They didn't know that Ryoko's criminal file had expired.  Again, we apologize."

Ayeka looked at the group for a minute before responding.  "Apology accepted.  But are your officers in the habit of arresting people who have violated no local laws?  They were going to arrest Ryoko, then Tenchi for no other reason than they were on a public beach."

The larger officer spoke up, "But Milady, we had no idea.  We just knew that Ryoko…"

"You knew nothing.  You weren't even sure it was Ryoko at first, but you were going to take her anyway.  But that's in the past.  I have accepted your apology and assume that it won't happen again.  Correct?"

"Yes Lady Ayeka," said one of the officials.  "To make amends, and since you are a foreign head of state, we would like to invite you all to a state dinner tomorrow night."

"No," said Ryoko, thinking of the little blue-haired girl she'd met and the other children who had approached her and Ayeka without fear afterwards.

The group turned to look at her.

"No, I think that a parade followed by a picnic in the city's largest park is what we need.  Something everyone can come to if they want.  They need to see that I'm not a big, bad monster.  Hey!  Don't look at me like that.  It doesn't have to be tomorrow, a couple of days from now is fine."

Ayeka's eyes sparkled.  "An excellent idea Ryoko!  We will of course cover part of the cost, the city should cover the rest."

The two city officials talked together in low tones, then turned back to the princess.  "Ahem.  Well, the picnic is ok; we can hold it on the beach in the evening.  But I'm afraid the parade is out.  We won't have the time for it, nor a place to have it."

Ryoko considered the counter-offer.  "All right, but there has to be carnival rides and games for the kids."

More mumbling between the officials.  "Agreed."

"And free admission to the event."

Mumble.  "Yes."

"Free public transportation to the beach?"

Mumble, mumble.  "Don't push it Milady."

Ryoko smiled, "Great, we're all set then.  I accept your apology too.  Oh, and I want those two to escort us to the party."  She pointed to the two nervous officers.

*****

The evening of the beach party came and sure enough, the two patrol officers showed up at the Juraian compound to escort them.

Ryoko immediately latched on to both of them.  "Now you boys stay with me.  We don't want the big, bad Space Pirate to run amok do we?"

They both shook their heads.  The group walked down the beach towards the lights and noise.

*****

"So, what's that thing over there, Tenchi?" Ryoko pointed to a large object filled with some liquid, manned by a very bored operator.

Tenchi look in the direction she was pointing.  "Oh, hey!  It's a dunk tank.  I haven't seen one of those since the school carnival three years ago!"

"How's it work?" Ryoko asked.

"Well, someone sits on that little seat over the water and people pay to throw objects, usually baseballs, at that little target.  If one hits, the person in the seat gets dropped into the water."

"Oooh.  I wanna try it."  She started bouncing up and down, her eyes shining; which reminded Tenchi of Mihoshi in a way.

"Ok, I'll get some baseballs."

The ex-pirate put out a hand to stop him, "No, I wanna sit in the seat and be dunked."

"What?  You're joking, right?"

Ryoko laughed.  "Think about it, people can take a shot at the Space Pirate Ryoko without anyone actually getting hurt.  It'll be great!"

Tenchi left Ryoko at the tank with her two unofficial bodyguards and went looking for Ayeka.  The last time he'd seen her, she'd been handing out what looked like cotton candy to a group of children.  He had to admit, Ryoko'd come up with a really good idea this time.  It seemed the whole city had turned out and everyone looked like they were having fun.  He walked through the concession area but was unable to spot his wife, so he headed back to the games.  As he neared the dunk tank he heard the crowd cheering.  Looking ahead, he saw the line at the tank now snaked all the way through the games area.  He noticed Ayeka's purple hair on the platform next to the tank; she was exhorting the current tosser to try harder.  He chuckled as he saw the crudely lettered sign that had been hung over the game.  It read DUNK THE DEMON, obviously Ayeka's doing.  It seemed that his wives were a big hit with the locals.

Tenchi found an empty spot on a bench near the dunk tank and sat down next to an old couple.  He leaned back and watched the people trying to drop Ryoko into the water.

"Sure was nice of those snooty off-worlders to put on this party, wasn't it young man?"

Tenchi hadn't realized he'd dozed off.  "Eh?  What's that?" he asked.

The old man repeated, "I said it was a nice thing for those Juraians to put on this party for the city.  We haven't had anything this big in years.  Are you having a good time?"

"Yeah.  After some of the things I've been through lately, it's nice to just kick back."

"A young man like you should have a date on a night like this."

Tenchi smiled, "I do, over there at the tank."

The old woman had been watching him intently.  She whispered something to her husband.  He turned back to Tenchi. 

"Say young fella, which one is your girl?" he asked suspiciously, peering at the line.

"The one with the purple hair."  Tenchi pointed to Ayeka up on the platform.

The man's eyes got wide.

"And the one in the tank.  I'm here with both of them. I'm…"

"The Crown Prince of Jurai!  I knew it!  I saw your picture on the news." the old woman exclaimed.

Tenchi scratched his head, "Well, yeah, kinda.  But just call me Tenchi, ok?"

*****

After the party had wound down and the cleanup had started, the three decided it was probably time to move on.  Saying goodbye to the household staff, Ryoko called to Ryo-ohki, _Ok partner, do it for me. _

The cabbit leapt into the air and transformed into her spaceship mode.  Then she transported the trio onto the command deck.  "Miya?" she said, bringing up a star chart on the big display.

"Well, that was fun," said a still damp Ryoko, looking at a scene of the beach on a smaller display.  "Ok, I get to choose where to go next."  She closed her eyes and pointed to a spot on Ryo-ohki's projected star chart.  "We're going…  here!  Let's go cabbit or no carrots for you!"

Tenchi's eyes opened wider.  "Wait!  Ryoko!  You mean you don't have any idea where you want to go?"

The girl rested her chin on her fist and thought for a minute.  "Nope.  I like the random method.  Let's move."

Ryo-ohki's thrumming increased in volume and the planet Panalon receded beneath them as they took off on their next adventure.

*****

To be continued

*****

Author's Notes

Hey!  This one was fun to write.  I wish they were all this easy.


	3. Voyage of the S. S. Ryo-ohki

Disclaimer

Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  I don't own any rights to them.  Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.

*****

Newlyweds

Chapter 3

Voyage of the S.S. Ryo-ohki

*****

Ayeka sat in Ryo-ohki's command chair, taking flight lessons from Ryoko.  Her own ship, Ryu-oh was voice-controlled; and while Ryoko could control Ryo-ohki mentally, everyone else had to use the control spheres.  And she was finding it difficult.

"I don't understand Ryoko.  Why can't I just use voice command to control her?"

"You can, to a certain extent.  If you'd paid attention, you'd've seen that even I have to use the globes for fine control.  Remember, Ryo-ohki is a sentient being; she'll do what she wants to do unless you override her.  That's why you have to learn to use the globes.  Or develop a mental link with her."

Just then Tenchi entered the cabin.  "So, how's it going ladies?"

"Fine," said Ryoko.

"Terrible," countered Ayeka.

The two looked at each other and broke out laughing.

"Ok, I think that's enough for today," Ryoko was the first to recover.  "Ryo-ohki needs a break anyway, don't you?"

"Miya!" the ship replied, a screen full of carrot images popping open.

*****

Ryoko wandered down the passageway toward the galley.  She was teaching Ayeka to fly and the princess was teaching her to cook.  Both she and Tenchi had been astounded when they'd found out that Ayeka was almost as good a cook as Sasami.  It was that she just didn't _like_ to do it, not that she couldn't.  And if Ayeka was having problems flying, then Ryoko was having problems frying.  Given that her senses were somewhat different from a normal person's, she couldn't cook by taste.  What tasted fine to her caused the others to dive for the water jug (or water closet in some cases), so she had to learn by measurement and ingredient.  She'd never be able to concoct new dishes that anyone else could eat, but she should be able to follow a recipe.  She sighed.  At least she was past the "Boiling Water Without Burning It" stage.  Today Ayeka was going to teach her how to scramble an egg.  It sounded easy.

*****

Ayeka watched as Ryoko cracked two eggs and emptied them into a bowl.  "Ok Ryoko, now gently beat the eggs until they're well blended.  You can add a little milk or water to make them fluffier, and just a bit of seasoning if you want; salt, pepper, whatever."

She watched as the ex-pirate stood there holding the bowl, whisk in hand, the tip of her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she planned her attack on the helpless eggs.  Ryoko put the utensil in the bowl and began to stir rapidly.  Egg started to escape, landing on the walls, the ceiling, Ayeka…  The princess giggled and put her hand on Ryoko's arm, stopping her.

"I said _gently_, like this."  She took the bowl and demonstrated the technique.  "See, it stays in the bowl this way.  There's less to clean up later."  She handed it back to her partner.  "Now, try again."

Ryoko beat the eggs slowly.  This time they stayed in the bowl.

"Ok, now turn the heat on medium-high and put the pan on the burner.  You can add some butter or margarine to the pan for taste.  Wait!  Not the whole stick!  Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan."

_Jeez, this is harder than I thought.  I'd rather be piloting Mihoshi's shuttle on manual control than doing this, _ thought Ryoko.  She did as she was told, glancing at Ayeka.

"Good, now pour the eggs into the pan.  They'll start to stiffen up…" Both girls giggled this time.

"Take a spatula and stir them until there's no liquid left.  Don't let them get too brown; a little is ok though." Ayeka watched closely as her friend cooked the eggs.  "All right, that looks good.  Put them on that plate and let's find Tenchi."

Just then the person in question walked into the galley looking for a snack.

"Oh darling!" sang Ryoko, "Could you try these for me?  I want your opinion."

Tenchi looked at the princess, who nodded assent.  "Uh, I suppose a taste won't kill me."  He picked up a fork and tried a bite.  His eyes grew wide and he took another forkful. "Thay!  Thith ith good!"  He swallowed.  "It's really good Ryoko.  I'm impressed with you both."

Ayeka smiled and Ryoko started to jump up and down and clap her hands, grinning from ear-to-ear.  Tenchi picked up the plate and walked out, still shoving egg into his mouth.

The princess turned to her student, "Well then, tomorrow I think we'll make fried rice. Let's get this place cleaned up."

*****

Ayeka was alone in the control room, running flight simulations on one of Ryo-ohki's subsidiary units.  She was getting better at controlling the ship, but felt she'd never be as good as Ryoko at it.  She chuckled to herself.  Ryoko probably thought the same about cooking.  She felt two strong hands begin to rub her neck and shoulders.  She tilted her head back and looked into Tenchi's soft brown eyes.

"Oh, I thought it might be Ryoko," she said to him.

He grinned.  "Disappointed?" he asked.

She smiled back.  "No, not really.  Would it have bothered you if I'd said yes?"

"No, not really," he said, throwing her own words back at her with a smile.

She stretched up to give him a quick kiss.  "I'll never be as good at this as Ryoko is."

He put his arm around her.  "You need to give it time, she's been doing it for over five thousand years, remember?  You've just started."

The ship suddenly began to slow down.

"I didn't do it!  It's not my fault!" Ayeka cried, taking her hands off the control spheres.

"No, I think we've arrived at our destination."  Tenchi pointed to a chart that had appeared, a blinking light showing their current position.  "I think that's the spot Ryoko pointed to when she chose where we were going."

Through the dome the two could see a dull-orange object that appeared to be rotating around a point in space.  A stream of white-hot plasma trailed behind it, spiraling in towards the center of rotation.  Ryo-ohki came to a relative stop several AUs from the object.

"What is _that_?" Tenchi asked.

Ayeka shook her head, indicating that she had no idea.

"Ryo-ohki, opaque the dome."

They turned to find that Ryoko had entered the cabin.

She walked over to them.  "As far as I know, _that_ is a one-of-a-kind phenomenon.  It's a neutron star orbiting a black hole; the plasma is the black hole suckin' in what's left of the star.  Another few thousand years and it'll be gone."

Ayeka gave her a quizzical look.  "Scientifically interesting, I'm sure.  But why are we here?"

"Two reasons.  One, I'm pretty sure no one knows about this but me.  And since it's temporary, we might wanna contact the Science Academy as soon as we get back.  I hadda make sure it was still here first though."

"And the other reason?" Tenchi asked.

Ryoko looked up at the now dull-red dome, "Ryo-ohki, apply a filter that allows neutrinos, alpha, beta and gamma radiations and x-rays to be seen as visible light.  Assign appropriate colors."

"Miyow?"

"Yes, in the human spectrum, not mine.  I want them to see it the way I do."

The dome overhead cleared, and while the singularity was still invisible, the neutron star now shown bright bluish-green.  Waves of multicolored light pulsed in a spiral pattern between the two, accelerating into blue as they vanished into the black hole.

Ayeka was overwhelmed.  "Oh Ryoko!  I don't know what to say.  It's beautiful."

Tenchi turned to his wife.  "You knew this was here all along, didn't you?" he accused,  "That was no random choice you made back at Panalon."

Ryoko gave him a gentle smile.  "Yes Tenchi, I knew; I didn't know for sure if it'd still be here though and I didn't want you to get your hopes up.  Oh, and I do know better than to just pick a random point and go there, ok?  Remember Finagle's Law: 'The Perversity of the Universe Tends Toward the Maximum.'  There're things out here that scare even me."

The very thought of something that could scare Ryoko made him shudder.

She saw his reaction.  "Oh, don't worry, I'm pretty sure we won't find any of that kind of stuff on our trip.  We'll pretty much be staying in the "civilized" parts of the galaxy.  But someday…  Someday I'd like to take you both explorin' in the "wild" parts.  It's always interesting to be the first ones to contact a new world."  She summoned up two more seats and the three sat and watched the light show for a while.

Ryoko finally broke the silence.  "So, where do you wanna go next Ayeka?  It's your turn again."

The princess thought for a minute, "Well, there's this forest moon I've heard about.  Why don't we try a short camping trip?  We can pitch a tent, have a campfire, sing songs…  Oooh!  It'll be fun, wait and see."

Ryoko laughed at Ayeka's enthusiasm.  Obviously she'd no idea how much actual work camping was, but still, it sounded good…  "Ryo-ohki, star chart please."  It popped up in front of them.  "Where's this moon of yours princess?"

Ayeka pointed to a spot on the chart.  Ryoko smiled at her, "If you care to do the honors…"

"Ryo-ohki, set a course.  All possible speed," Ayeka called out.

"Miiyyyaaaw!" replied the ship as she powered up.

"ENGAGE!" cried the princess; then she turned to the other two, "I've always wanted to do that."

The ship's engines kicked in and they sped off to their next destination.

*****

To be continued

*****

Author's Notes:

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, an AU (Astronomical Unit) is approximately the distance from Earth to the Sun, or about seven light minutes.

Normally I wouldn't respond this way, preferring to use e-mail as there could be spoilers here, but here goes:

Dennisud:  Yes, it's part of the Conversations story line.  It covers the three or so months that they were away on their honeymoon and some of the things they did during that period (aside from the obvious of course; this is _not_ a lemon.)  And I agree with you about Ayeka and Ryoko (obviously).  I'm a big T+R fan, but I find Ayeka an interesting and sympathetic character; if Ryoko is learning humanity, then Ayeka is learning humility.  Although I'm rooting for Ryoko in the 3rd OAV, I don't have a problem with the princess either, as long as nothing bad happens to our favorite space pirate.

Sledgehammer:  I do have all the mangas, including the new one "Mother Earth".  And looking back on it, I can see that a lot of the personality I gave the characters came from those stories (unintentional, I assure you).  The next story (not chapter), tentatively titled "The Great Cabbit Hunt" has them reality hopping, looking for the origin of the other cabbits.  They might just run into their manga selves (including Minagi) at some point.  Who knows?  (Well, I do of course, but I'm not tellin'!)

BobR

11/30/2001


	4. In the Wild

Disclaimer

Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  I don't own any rights to them.  Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.

*****

Newlyweds

Chapter 4

In the Wild

*****

Tenchi woke up in the middle of the night, his leg cramping painfully.  He tried stretching, but the sleeping bag got in the way.  "Ow, ow, ow!  Damn, that hurts."

"What is it honey?" Ryoko asked sleepily.

He groaned, "Leg cramp.  I have to stand up and stretch it out and I can't get the damned sleeping bag unzipped."

"Just a sec.  I'll help you." She put an arm around him and teleported both of them outside the tent.  "There.  Now you can stretch all you want."

"Ryoko!  I'm naked!" he exclaimed.

"So what?  So am I, and so's Ayeka.  Don't worry, there's no one else around for hundreds of kilometers."

"T… that's not the p… point.  Y… y… you don't f… feel the cold and sh… she's still warm and c… comfy in the sleeping b… bag.  It's f… f… freezing out here."

"No it's not.  It just feels that way since you were in the warmth a minute ago."

"It doesn't m… matter!  I'm still c…c… cold!" he replied, shivering violently.

Ryoko stomped her foot and crossed her arms under her breasts.  "Fine.  See if I help you next time."  She turned away and phased back into the tent, leaving her husband standing alone, naked and cold in the middle of nowhere.

*****

"Tenchi?"  Ryoko whispered in his ear.

"Yes Ryoko?"

"I'm not mad at you anymore."  She nibbled his earlobe.

"That's nice Ryoko.  Go back to sleep."

"Hmmph!"  She rolled over until she was back-to-front with the sleeping princess.  A minute later she rolled back over facing him.

"Tenchi?" she whispered.

Tenchi groaned, "What now Ryoko?"

"I can't go back to sleep.  If I rebuild the campfire, will you sit and talk to me for a while?"

He sighed.  "Sure.  But what about Ayeka?"

Ryoko reached over and touched his shoulder.  "She's asleep.  Leave her alone, she'll be fine."

The princess rolled over and poked Ryoko with her finger.  "I'm _not_ asleep.  How could anyone be asleep with all this noise?  Go and build the fire and I'll make some hot chocolate for us."  Ryoko teleported from the tent.  Ayeka grumbled, "Uncivilized pirate.  She didn't even bother to get dressed."

Tenchi got up and put on a pair of sweats that he kept handy for just that purpose.  He heard Ryoko outside putting logs into the firepit they had built.  Unzipping the flap, he stepped outside in time to see his wife, fully dressed in sweats similar to his, fire a small energy burst from her hand to get the fire going.  After dragging over the log they had been using as a seat, he and Ryoko sat down while Ayeka prepared the drinks.

Over the hot chocolate the three talked about the things they'd done so far, and the things they planned to do in the future.  Ryoko laid her head on Tenchi's shoulder and sighed in happiness.  After a little while Tenchi noticed she wasn't saying much anymore and looking down he saw that she was asleep.  Gesturing for Ayeka to open the tent, he carried her inside and tucked her into the sleeping bag; he then rejoined the princess by the fire.  They sat with their arms around each other until the sun came up.

A well-rested Ryoko bounded out of the tent to find her spouses sound asleep, leaning against each other next to the embers of the fire.  She grinned and threw some more wood into the pit, causing the fire to flare up again.  Then she set about gathering up the things she'd need to make breakfast.  Eggs were the one food she'd gotten good at preparing, and she thought that omelets sounded good this morning.

She took inventory, _Let's see.  Eggs, cheese, mushrooms (non-poisonous ones), onions… no better leave the onions out today; peppers, ham (or what passes for ham at this end of the galaxy anyway), butter, frying pan, spatula, rack for the fire…  yep, got everything I need. _  When she finished cooking the breakfast, she picked up the pan and started banging on it with the spatula.  "Yo!  Lovebirds!  Breakfast is ready."

Ayeka sat up suddenly and Tenchi, with nothing left to lean against, fell off the log with a soft thud.  His head slowly rose over the log to look at Ryoko.  "What was that all about?" he asked.

"Breakfast is ready," she repeated, gesturing to the three plates full of omelets.  "Come on and eat you two."  She picked up one of the plates and began shoving food into her mouth.

Ayeka walked over and took another.  "You did this by yourself Ryoko?  That's very good."  She took a bite.  "Yes, very good indeed."

*****

"So what do you want to do today?" Tenchi asked.

"I dunno.  Whadda you wanna do?"  Ryoko turned to Ayeka.

"I don't know.  How about you Lord Tenchi?" the princess asked him.

"Wait a minute.  I'm the one who started this, remember?"

"Then you should finish it.  What are we going to do today?" Ayeka asked again.

"Well, we could go hiking," he said, scratching his head.

Ryoko frowned, "Hiking?  As in walking?  I don't know…  How far?"

"The planetary guide we've got says there's a waterfall about three kilometers from here.  Tell you what, why don't we try hiking to it and if it's too rough a trail, you can teleport us back here."

"Well… I suppose," Ryoko said, still frowning.  She phased into a flannel shirt, blue jeans and hiking boots. "This is what hikers always wear on TV, is it ok dear?"

"Um, the jeans might be a little much, or at least a little less tight."  He gave her an admiring look and wondered what shows she'd been watching.  "And a short-sleeve shirt I think.  The boots are a good idea though.  All I have are my tennis shoes."

She caught his look and gave her behind a little wiggle, then changed into light blue hiking shorts and a yellow tank top.  "I'll have Ryo-ohki replicate a pair of boots for you and the princess.  Is there anything else?"

He thought for a minute.  "Maybe a hat for the sun and a hiking staff."

A wide-brimmed hat appeared on Ryoko's head.  "We don't need a whole staff.  I was hoping it'd be just us three."

Ayeka chuckled at the pirate's naiveté.  "No Ryoko, a hiking staff is a stout stick, about your height or a little less.  It's used to help you walk on rough trails, like a long cane."

"Oh.  We can pick one up along the way, can't we?"

"That's usually how it's done, yes." Tenchi answered.  Two pairs of boots appeared in a shaft of light, transported from the cabbit-ship still in orbit.  He tossed the smaller pair to the princess.  "Ayeka, do you have something besides those robes to walk in?"

Ayeka glanced at Ryoko, who nodded almost imperceptibly toward the tent.  "Yes, I believe I do."  She disappeared into the tent to emerge a few moments later in an outfit identical to Ryoko's except with the colors reversed.  She walked over to stand next to her ex-rival.

Tenchi looked at his two wives.  "Wow!" was all he could manage.

Both of them grinned at him, thinking identical thoughts, _You just wait 'til later, Lover Boy! _

*****

Tenchi's clothes were soaked with sweat and he thought that Ayeka was just as miserable.  Ryoko didn't seem bothered too much, although he would occasionally catch her wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.  _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all, _ he thought, stopping yet again to wipe the sweat out of his eyes with his shirtsleeve.  _At the very least I should've worn a bandana. _

"Tenchi, I hear something up ahead.  A kinda rushing sound." Ryoko exclaimed.

He listened carefully, once again marveling at the extra-sensitive senses his not-quite-human wife displayed.  "That's probably the waterfall Ryoko."  He turned to help Ayeka over a large tree root.  "It can't be too much farther now," he told her as he saw the discomfort on her face.

"Good," she said, "I don't know how much farther I can walk.  I never knew a few kilometers could be this far."

They rounded a bend in the so-called trail and there it was, about 15 meters high, falling into a big azure pool surrounded by large rocks, with a few boulders sticking up out of the water.  The light filtering through the trees gave it an almost fairy-tale aspect.

Ryoko's eyes lit up, in all her travels she'd never seen anything like this place.  She noticed that the far end of the pool was fairly shallow and calm; a little ways out into the deeper part was a large boulder that seemed almost ideal for sunning oneself or for diving off into the deeper part of the pool.  She sat down on a rock, took off her boots and eased her sore feet into the cool water.  _Aaahh!  Now I remember why I like flying and teleporting. _  Eyeing the boulder in the middle of the pool, an inspiration hit her and she turned to Tenchi who had just joined her.  "Do you think it'd be ok to swim here?" she asked.

Ayeka had joined them just in time to overhear Ryoko's question.  "Yes my love, a dip would be wonderful."

Tenchi considered for a moment before answering.  "We didn't bring any bathing suits."

"Oh, that's no problem," said Ryoko, phasing out of her clothes.  "Any other concerns?"

"Um, no.  Just be careful of sharp stones on the bottom."

Ryoko dove into the water.  Ayeka quickly stripped and joined her.  Tenchi continued to sit on the rock and watch them splash around.  After a minute or two, Ayeka realized that he hadn't followed them.

"Aren't you coming in dear?" she asked him.

He sighed, nodded assent, and then slowly began to take off his clothes.  When he was down to only his underwear, he eased himself into the pool.  Ryoko was immediately by his side.

"Hey!  No fair!  We're both naked and you still have clothes on.  We'll have to do something about that, won't we princess?"

Ayeka gave her a wicked grin.  "Yes indeed, pirate.  You hold him and I'll see if I can't correct the situation."

Ryoko gabbed him, pinning his arms to his sides while the princess dove under the water.  He felt her tugging at his shorts, then after getting them off, she popped to the surface.  Her hand remained underwater however.  Tenchi began turning bright red.  Without moving her hand Ayeka whispered something in Ryoko's ear that Tenchi couldn't quite make out (but he had an pretty good idea what it was about) and both girls giggled.  

Ayeka whispered something else and Ryoko nodded agreement to her friend, then nibbled at her husband's ear, "Later honey."  She teleported away to reappear on a large flat rock near the shore.  She looked at the two still in the water, grinned at both of them then stretched out in a sunny spot and closed her eyes for a nap.

Ayeka removed her hand from where it had been resting, smiled and took a stunned Tenchi's hand in hers.  "Come Lord Tenchi.  There's something I want to show you."  He meekly followed as she led him around a big boulder to give them some privacy.

A little while later the exhausted duo joined a still drowsy Ryoko in the sun for their own naps.

Over the next few days the quiet forest pool became one of the trio's favorite spots to visit and they would return there many times over the years.

*****

Author's Notes:

Well, this chapter's a little short and not much action, sorry.  I mean, how much trouble can you get into hundreds of miles out in the middle of nowhere?  Oh, that's right.  We're talking about Ryoko here…  Well, the next one should be a bit longer and have more action in it, as it's now Ryoko's turn to pick a destination again.

Correction from the notes in Chapter 3: The newest TPB of the Manga is "Mother Planet" not "Mother Earth".  Author smacks himself in the head a few times for not looking on his bookshelf first.  Oh well, at my age they say the memory is the first to go…

BobR 

12/2/2001


	5. Adventures in Kidnapping, Part 1

Disclaimer

Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  I don't own any rights to them.  Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.

*****

Newlyweds

Chapter 5

Adventures in Kidnapping

Part 1

*****

Ryoko had wandered out into the main gallery of the casino while Ayeka and Tenchi watched a show in one of the many theaters.  The play was about a typical Juraian love triangle and really didn't interest her at all, she was much more interested in watching the money change hands at the gaming tables.

She walked into one of the bars and ordered sake for herself and a bowl of carrots for Ryo-ohki.  Finding an empty table, she placed the bowl and drink on it, then took the cabbit off her head.  "You stay here, got it?" she waggled her finger at her partner.  "I'll be right back."

She walked into a ladies restroom to wash her hands, not noticing she was being followed by two largish humanoid types.  If they'd been in uniform, they could've passed for the twins of the officers on Panalon that had tried to arrest her on the beach.  But since she'd changed her hair color to the same shade as her mother's and gathered it into a single ponytail, again like Washu's, she had no reason to think she'd be recognized here, so she paid them no attention.

"Da boss wants you should come wit' us, miz," said the larger of the two goons, startling her.

_Oh Goddess! _ thought Ryoko, _Here we go again.  And what's with the corny accent?  Do they hire these guys by stereotype or what?  Hmmm.  Maybe I can have some fun with this. _  She turned off the water and walked to the door.  "He does, does he?  Well then, let's go boys.  It won't do to keep the boss waiting."

The goons looked at each other then followed her out the door.  They had expected an argument and maybe some hysterics.

Walking past the table where she had left the cabbit, she scooped her up in her arms.

"Miya!" Ryo-ohki complained, being taken away from her snack.

"Shhh," Ryoko admonished,  "these gentlemen want to take us to meet someone."  She smiled sweetly at them and allowed them to lead her out of the bar.

*****

Ryoko was ushered into a large office on the top floor of the casino.  Across the room was a large desk made of what appeared to be real wood instead of a synthetic.  _Expensive, _ she thought.  She sat down in a plush chair in front of the desk, placing the cabbit in her lap.  The chair behind the desk slowly swung around to reveal a small humanoid with greenish skin.

"Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Mr. Ferdtyz, manager of this facility.  And I know who and what you are, Space Pirate Ryoko.  I have a proposition for you.  If you accept it, we both benefit, if not…  Well one of us will be _very_ unhappy."

"Well, since you know who I am…"  Ryoko untied her hair bow and shook her head, letting her hair resume its normal spikiness.  She phased its color back to its usual cyan shade as well.  "What do you think I can do for you?"

"Heh, heh.  It seems the Princess Ayeka of Jurai is staying in the city as well.  We would pay handsomely for her."

_He wants _me_ to kidnap _Ayeka_?  Ha!  This just keeps getting better and better! _  She smiled at him while stroking the cabbit nonchalantly.  "I've noticed her, yes.  What about the boy with her?"

Ferdtyz's eye brightened.  "So you _have_ been watching her, eh?  As for the boy, we don't know who he is, so we're not interested in him.  If he gets in the way, we'll eliminate him."

There was a twinge from the part of her that was still the android Zero; her subconscious remembered Dr. Clay's instructions: "If that boy is in your way, eliminate him".  She chose that moment to inspect her fingernails.  "And what happens if I refuse this job of yours?"

"Simple.  We find someone else to do it and then notify the appropriate authorities of _your_ whereabouts."

Ryoko looked him in the eye, "And then I tell them of _your_ scheme, right?"

The little green man chuckled, "Oh, you won't be in any condition to talk.  At least not for a long, long time.  I'll give you some time to think about it though.  How about one minute?  Time starts now."

_Boy!  These guys have been watching too many old Earth movies.  This is gonna be easy. _  She leaned over the desk, "I accept.  What's my deadline?"

"She's due to leave at the end of the week.  She won't be missed before then I expect, so you have till then to snatch her.  If we find you trying to leave orbit yourself, or we don't hear from you by then, we contact the GP then do the job ourselves.  It'll be a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Ryoko."  He turned the chair around, effectively dismissing her.

_Definitely a small-timer puffed with his own importance.  He obviously doesn't know who or what he's dealing with. _  She gathered her hair back into it's ponytail, changing the color back to red, then got up and walked out of the room with Ryo-ohki.  This time, the two goons didn't follow her.

*****

_Oh, Tenchi dearest.  We have a situation here, _ she broadcast to her husband.

His thoughts came back to her, _Do you need some help?  Were you recognized again? _

_Well… No.  And yes.  I'll explain it to you later.  For now though, tell Ayeka she needs to pretend she doesn't know me.  You don't either, got it? _ she replied mentally.  _We'll have to talk back aboard Ryo-ohki, I don't know if our room is being watched or not.  Probably is by now though.  See you both in a little while. _

_Be careful Ryoko.  We both love you. _  Tenchi sent back.

She basked in the warmth of the feelings that came through the link.  _I know you do, and I will.  Don't worry, ok?  This is me, Ryoko we're talking about here. _  She closed the link.  Teleporting away from the city, she tossed Ryo-ohki into the air.  "Ok, partner, do your thing."

With a loud, drawn-out "Miiyyyaaa", the cabbit transformed from a cute, fluffy animal into a large, crystalline spacecraft.  

Ryoko teleported onto the command deck, "Find Tenchi and the princess and bring them up, ok?  I'm going to our cabin.  Let me know when they're aboard.  Oh, and get us a secure comm channel direct to Mihoshi's grandfather.  Use the ditz's name if you have to."

"Miyawr."

*****

Ryoko finished explaining what was happening.  "So that's the story.  Wadda you guys want to do about it?"

"Well, since we're all here now, we could just leave," Tenchi answered.

Ryoko responded with a dirty look.  "Running away isn't an answer, Tenchi.  Besides, we're on our honeymoon, I don't want anything to disrupt that."

"But when Ayeka first came to Earth you wanted to run away instead of fight."

"That was different.  I had my reasons then, they don't apply now."  She gave Ayeka an affectionate glance, which the princess returned.

"I quite agree with Ryoko, dear.  If we run away now, we'll never know why they want me."

Tenchi thought for a moment.  "Ok, what if we pretend to go through with this.  Can we stop them before it goes too far?  I mean, there's just the three of us..."

Ryoko snickered.  "The three of us who dealt with Kagato on his home ground?  The three of us who stood up to Azusa when he wanted to take Ayeka home?  Oh, I think we can handle it all right.  Besides, we _do_ have help.  Ryo-ohki, screen."

A view screen popped open in front of them with the image of an older blonde man with humor creases at the corner of his eyes.  Tenchi thought there was something familiar about him…

Ayeka whispered in Tenchi's ear, "It's the Grand Marshal of the Galaxy Police himself, Mihoshi's grandfather."

"Hello Prince Tenchi, Princess Ayeka.  Ryoko here's been telling me all about the predicament you're in.  Believe it or not, you can be a great help to me."  He gave Ryoko a stern look.  "Although I don't appreciate you hacking into my supposedly secure communications net.  Heads will roll because of this."

Tenchi stood up straighter.  "And how may we help you sir?"

"Over the past few months there have been a number of kidnappings on that world.  All of the victims were from wealthy families and all were successfully recovered when the ransom was paid.  But it's only a matter of time until someone can't or won't pay.  Then we don't know what will happen and we really don't want to find out.  Using the princess here as bait may give us the break we need to find this group and stop them."  He smiled at them.  "The kidnappers seem to be unaware of Ryoko's 'special' status with the princess otherwise they wouldn't have approached her to do the job.  But because they did, we now have someone inside the kidnapping ring.  And before you ask; yes, I know about your marriage, even though there'll be no formal announcement until the official ceremony on Jurai.  My granddaughter was there, remember?  And I'll expect an invitation to Jurai when the time comes."

"Of course sir," Ayeka replied, "and you can expect our full cooperation in this matter as well."

"Excellent.  We have operatives in place on the planet already and a task force on alert.  Someone will be contacting you shortly to help you coordinate the next move.  Please stay safe, I don't want to have to explain any unfortunate accidents to Mihoshi or your parents."  He smiled again, then reached out and flipped a switch, ending the transmission.

"Ok, Tenchi.  You and the princess go back to the hotel and get some rest.  I'll be sleeping here on Ryo-ohki until this is over."  She saw the sour look on his face.  "I know, I know; I don't like this either, but we can't let them know that we know each other.  Especially how _well_ we know each other.  That might make me a target too and I know too much about them already for them to ever consider ransom in my case.  Besides, if we play this right, it could be fun."

Tenchi exploded, "FUN!  You call being in the middle of a kidnapping FUN?"

"Yeah!"  Ryoko got right in his face.  "They obviously don't know much about any of us, just that I'm an ex-criminal and Ayeka's rich an' famous.  They know nothing about our powers.  I wanna surprise 'em.  We came here to have fun didn't we?  I'm not gonna let this ruin it.  Make the best of every situation.  That's what I say!"

"Ryoko, someone could get hurt!" he yelled.

"Yeah, but them, not us.  We've got Ayeka's shield, my teleportation and your Lighthawk Wings if we need them.  What could go wrong?" she argued.

He calmed down, "You know I can't control them like that yet.  And I can think of plenty that could go wrong.  But we're committed now so you're right, we might as well make the best of it."

"I knew you'd see it my way."

Ayeka laughed at them, "Your first argument.  Isn't that sweet."

Ryoko smiled back.  "Yeah, but wait until this is all over and we get the time to make up.  That'll be sweet too."  She grabbed Tenchi and gave him a long, lingering kiss.  "That's to show you I'm not really mad, and to give you a taste of later.  Now you and the princess need to get back down on the planet before you're missed."

The kiss had surprised Tenchi and it had ended far to quickly for him.  "Yeah, I guess you're right."  This time he grabbed Ryoko and he kissed her again.  A quick hug and then he stepped over to Ayeka, taking her hand.  "Ryo-ohki, send us back please."

They disappeared in a flash of light.  Ryoko slumped down in the command chair, letting her depression show.  Tonight would be the first night in many months she'd spend without the others in bed with her and she wasn't looking forward to it.  "Damn them!"  She slammed her fist into the padded arm of the chair.  "They'll pay for this," she swore.

*****

To be continued

*****

Author's Notes

Well, what do you think?  Will Ayeka get captured?  Can Tenchi and Ryoko save her?  And what of the usually inept Galaxy Police?  (Except for Kiyone of course, but she doesn't appear here.)

Tune in next time and find out.

BobR

12/04/2001


	6. Adventures in Kidnapping, Part 2

Disclaimer

Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  I don't own any rights to them.  Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.

*****

Newlyweds

Chapter 6

Adventures in Kidnapping

Part 2

*****

Tenchi stopped his pacing to answer the knock on the hotel door.  Looking out through the peephole, he saw a young man holding up a GP ident card.  He opened the door.

"May I help you?" he asked politely.

The GP stepped into the room and quickly glanced around.  Seeing no one else he asked, "Are you Tenchi?"

Tenchi affirmed that he was.

"Is the princess here?  I'm Special Investigator Kintara, assigned to the kidnappings here.  I'll be your GP contact."

"She's napping.  I'll go get her.  Should I get Ryoko as well?"

"Ryoko?  Oh.  Yes, of course.  Ryoko should be here too."

Tenchi went into the bedroom to wake Ayeka.  As he did, he opened a link to his other wife.  _Ryoko honey.  The GP are here and want to talk to us… _

Ryoko suddenly appeared and threw her arms around his neck.  "Oh Tenchi!  I missed you sooo much.  And the princess too, of course."

_Jeez, this is just like old times with her. _  He gasped for air.  "Not… quite… so… tight… please…  Can't… breathe…"

She released him.  "Oh.  Sorry."

"It's only been a few hours Ryoko."  Tenchi took a few deep breaths.

"It's been an eternity for me darling."

*****

"Ok, here's what well do," Kintara explained.  "Ryoko, you contact this Ferdtyz person and tell him you've made the snatch.  From what you say and from what I've been able to find out, I don't think he's the mastermind behind this so try to get him to set up a meeting with the boss.  After all, the princess here is quite a catch for them.  Their biggest yet.  After all the arrangements are made, contact Tenchi and let him know.  He'll let me know where it's going to be and I'll set things up with the GP."

"And then what will we do?" Tenchi asked.

"'We' will do nothing.  You stay here where it's safe.  Ryoko and the princess show up for the meeting, the GP crashes the place, takes everyone into custody and that's it.  Hopefully no one gets hurt.  From what I understand, these two can defend themselves pretty well."

"That's it?" Ryoko wondered.  "That's an awfully simple plan."

The investigator smiled at her.  "Well, simple usually works best.  Besides, the GP knows what it's doing.  Trust me.  If we can catch the whole gang it would make my day."

*****

_Tenchi? _ Ryoko broadcast.

_Yes Ryoko? _ came his reply.

_I just got done talking to that slimeball Ferdtyz.  It's all set up for this afternoon at four in a big red warehouse by the spaceport.  It's the only one there, so it should be easy to find. _ she beamed back to him.

_The big boss will be there? _ he wondered.

_Ferdtyz guaranteed it, lover. _ she responded.

_Ok, I'll notify Kintara and have Ayeka get ready.  It's after noon now.  We don't have much time.  Love you. _ He cut the connection.

*****

His wives had left for the meeting at the warehouse.  The plan was for Ryoko to carry the princess in as if she were unconscious, then at the proper time they would both help the GP round up the gang.  But he was nervous.  Very nervous.  Something just wasn't quite right here.  Ryoko had been correct.  The plan was too simple.  He had to do something besides just sit and wait.  An idea hit him.  He twisted the ring on his finger that created his Juraian armor, then contacted the cabbit-ship.

_Ryo-ohki, I need your help, _ he sent.

Ryo-ohki replied immediately.  _Yes Tenchi?  What do you need? _

He quickly formulated his own plan.  _Ok, Ryo-ohki, here's what I want you to do… _

*****

Ryoko strode into the warehouse like she owned the place, with the princess slung over her shoulder.  "Keep still now," she whispered to Ayeka.

"I am, you demon," came the quiet reply.

As she passed a large shipping container Ryoko felt, rather than heard, the buzz of a sonic stunner.  Ayeka truly went limp on her shoulder.  _Damn! _ she thought.  _So much for honor among thieves. _

"Just insurance," said Ferdtyz as he stepped out into the light.  "I'm sure you see the need."

"Yeah, whatever," she said, gently laying Ayeka's unconscious form down on the floor.  "Where's the boss?  Like I said before, I don't deal with peons."

A voice came from the shadows.  "Heh.  She's got you pegged, doesn't she Ferdtyz?  I'm right here my dear."  A tall human stepped into the light carrying a small electronic device.  "And just in case you've something planned…"  He gestured and a small army of goons appeared to surround her.

She looked around, her energy sword hissing into being.  _Shit!  Whadda they do?  Clone these guys or something? _

The Boss turned to Ferdtyz.  "Ferdtyz my good man, you really should check references before hiring outside help."  He gestured again to one of the goons.  

A beam of coherent energy spanned the gap between the two, leaving a large hole in the green humanoid's abdomen.  Ferdtyz had a startled look on his face as he crumpled to the ground.

_Blaster! _ Ryoko thought.

The Boss turned his attention back to her.  "I really can't afford mistakes like this.  It won't happen again."  He looked at the pirate through slitted eyes.  "Unlike poor Ferdtyz here, I don't underestimate anyone."  He pressed a button on his control pad; Ryoko's sword fizzled out and she was overcome by weakness.  "It's an energy dampening field.  I think you'll find that your teleporting and energy blasts won't work anymore either.  It also serves to cut off Jurai power, so when the Princess comes to she'll be helpless as well."

Ryoko gave him a cold stare.  "Explain one thing to me, how did you know it was all a setup?"

Kintara stepped out from behind a shipping unit.  "Because I told him.  You didn't really think they'd been so successful on their own did you?  Oh, and you can forget about the GP saving the day, I never told them about this meeting."

She growled at the GP officer, "I see.  You've been able to point the investigation in other directions.  I think I'll kill you first, traitor."

"Tut, tut.  Such talk from someone who can't even defend themselves without special powers.  I really don't see that there's a lot you can do about it right now Ryoko."

"How are you going to explain our deaths then?"

"Your death.  The princess hasn't seen me here so she can still be ransomed.  You on the other hand…  Well, your ego is well known, so you just decided that you could handle this without any help.  Unfortunately you couldn't."

"Bastard."

"From you, I'll take that as a compliment."  He pulled out a GP blaster and pointed it at Ryoko.  "Goodbye."  He pulled the trigger.

A shimmering light appeared in front of the pirate, blocking the blast.  Tenchi, in full Juraian battle armor, stepped out of a spacial fold holding an activated tenchi-ken.  He looked at Kintara.  "Somehow I don't think today is going to be your day."

The Boss looked at the GP officer.  "Who's that?  And why is his sword working?  You told me this device would drain all power except GP blasters."

The officer was shocked.  "It's the boy!  Look at his uniform; he's a Juraian Guardian.  And I don't know why the sword's working.  It shouldn't be."

Tenchi smiled at them.  "It's because there are things about the three of us that you can't possibly comprehend."  He opened a link to Ryoko, allowing her to tap into his power.  She made a fist and her own sword flared back to life.

She gave her husband a feral grin, revealing both fangs.  "Ready," she stated, then turned to the GP, "Let's play."

Kintara took another shot at her, which she easily blocked, then turned and ran.  The Boss was rooted to the floor.  Things definitely weren't going according to plan.  He pulled his own blaster and took a wild shot at the pirate, hitting her in the chest.

"Aaarghh," cried Ryoko, flying backwards into a wall.

*****

Ayeka's eyes flew open in time to see her friend hit the wall with a sickening thud, then tumble to the floor in a heap.  "Nooooo!" she screamed.  She reached for her Jurai power but couldn't tap into it; the dampener was still on.  Trying again she felt… something else, another, native power deep inside, waiting… no, wanting to be released.  She touched it, felt it flow into her.  She could use it.

Unseen by all, an orangeish glow began to seep from under her tiara.

*****

Ryoko hadn't been seriously hurt by the blast, but she'd been stunned by the impact with the wall.  She watched helplessly as a firefight broke out between the kidnappers and Tenchi.  She sensed a new power entering the fray.  There was a familiar taste to it, but it'd been a while…  she didn't quite remember.  She watched Ayeka's form shoot up into the air and an orange fire played about the princess' hands.  Something familiar about that too…  Energy bolts began to shoot from Ayeka, incinerating kidnappers wherever they were hiding.  _Jeez, _ Ryoko thought, _I didn't know she had it in her.  I'll have to remember not to really piss her off in the future. _  She reached out to Tenchi for power and felt him grant it.  She tapped into her own reservoir as well, releasing her inner power, much as Ayeka had done.  A faintly glowing triangle appeared on her forehead and two marks shown dimly on her cheeks.  She levitated and flew off in search of the GP traitor.  She had a promise to keep.

*****

Tenchi easily blocked the blasts aimed at him as he stalked the boss around the building.  Given that they had been ready to kill Ryoko and probably himself as well, he felt no guilt for what was happening behind him.  He called out, "If you give up now, I'll turn you over to the GP.  As far as I know, you haven't actually killed anyone important yet, but I suggest you decide before one of my wives gets a hold of you.  I _know_ I can't control them and I won't be responsible for their actions."

The Boss threw down the blaster and raised his hands.  "I give up!  I give up!  Don't let them kill me!  Please!"

Tenchi opened a mental link to Ryo-ohki.  _Ok, you can send in the GP now._

_Is Ryoko ok? I sensed her being hurt, then nothing, _ the cabbit asked.

_As far as I know.  She was shot, but I saw her fly off looking for the traitor afterwards, _ he replied to Ryoko's partner.  _I'll look for her once the GP are here. _

Ryo-ohki gave a worried sigh, _They say they'll be there in five minutes or less. _

_Thank you Ryo-ohki.  We owe you one. _ He cut the link.

*****

Ryoko caught up to Kintara near the exit.  She zoomed down to land in front of him.  He shakily pointed his blaster at her.  "D… don't move."

She indicated the charred spot on her chest.  "Go ahead and shoot.  All it'll do is sting a little."

He saw the glowing marks on her face and dropped to his knees, blaster clattering on the floor.  "Oh goddess!" he moaned.

Ryoko raised her sword above her head.  "No, that would be my mother," she replied in a monotone voice.  The energy weapon swung down sharply.

*****

"So, the only one left is the head honcho, eh?" asked the GP detective in charge.  "And Kintara was a part of it all along.  Well, that explains a great deal.  I just wish you'd left some of the others alive."

Ayeka surveyed the carnage surrounding them.  "They didn't give us much choice.  Besides, they shot first."

"And yet none of you even have a scratch.  Amazing."

Ryoko rubbed the sore spot between her breasts making them jiggle.  She smiled at the detective.  "Hey!  They shot me!  It hurt too."

The detective averted his eyes causing Ryoko to grin at him.  "Um, yeah, well, I suppose I'd better call in a forensics crew to start identifying some of these beings.  The Marshal says that he really appreciates all you've done to help too.  And something about not forgetting the invitation.  I'd like you all to hang around for a few days in case we have any more questions, otherwise, enjoy the rest of your vacation.  We'll be picking up your hotel tab as a way of saying thanks."

Thoughts of gourmet meals delivered by room service and massage treatments caused Ryoko and Ayeka's eyes to sparkle.

Tenchi saw this and laughed.  "Thanks," he told the detective, "but I don't think you realize what you've just promised."

The detective laughed back and displayed a wedding band on his finger.  "Oh, I think I do.  And so does the Marshal.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have quite a job in front of me and I need to get started."  He nodded goodbye to them and walked off to where two patrolbeings were holding the head kidnapper.

Tenchi turned to his wives.  "Hey you two, we're on vacation, remember?  We've got a honeymoon to finish."

"Yes Tenchi," Ayeka said.

"Ok honey," Ryoko replied.  She took each of them by the arm.  She purred to Tenchi, "Let's get back to business.  I promised you some fun later and now it's later."

The three disappeared in a flash of light.

*****

To be continued

*****

Author's Notes

Whew!  I just had to finish this one quickly.  A short break to get some actual work done, then on to the next.  BTW, Chapter 4 of Conversations II takes place immediately after this episode.


	7. A Taste of Freedom

Disclaimer

Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  I don't own any rights to them.  Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.

*****

Newlyweds

Chapter 7

A Taste of Freedom – A Tale of Ryo-ohki

*****

Ryo-ohki flew.  As Ryoko, Tenchi and Ayeka slept, Ryo-ohki flew between the stars.  Her inertial dampers on full so the other's wouldn't notice, she did loops, rolls and twists, reveling in the freedom of movement.  Ryoko would never have allowed her to continue her acrobatics if she'd known, but for now, Ryo-ohki was her own master.  Not that she'd ever considered Ryoko anything but a partner, but she was programmed to obey the ex-pirate even though it was fun to put up a fight and argue sometimes.  It made life interesting.  Sometimes she even won.

Something appeared on her sensors.  Another ship.  This would be fun.  She slowed until she was moving just a little faster than the other ship.  Her database identified it as a Juraian bulk freighter, probably carrying foodstuffs or consumer goods to one of the Empire's colony worlds.  If she was lucky they hadn't noticed her yet.  She began to stalk her prey.

*****

Aboard the Juraian freighter, the sensor tech has seen something odd appear on his screen.  It flashed in and out as if staying just out of range, or perhaps a cloaked ship.  He called the watch officer.

"Sir, I have a possible contact.  It seems to be following us."

The watch officer wandered over to the sensor screen.  It had been a routine, boring trip so far, maybe something exciting was about to happen.  In the vastness of space, you didn't come across other ships too often.

"What is it?  Can you get an ID?"

"No, it's not transmitting any codes and it's still out of visual range.  I might be able to extrapolate something after a few more sensor hits though," the tech replied.

Since they were deep in Juraian space, it couldn't be any of the groups on the fringe that the military was fighting with.  No, it was probably another freighter or a GP patrol that was experiencing transmitter problems.

"Hail them.  Their transmitter's probably down but maybe they can hear us.  Offer assistance if needed.  Helm," he turned to the center console, "reduce speed.  Let them catch up.  I'll go inform the captain."

*****

Ryo-ohki was impressed.  They'd actually managed to paint her with their sensors.  But according to the information in the hail, they couldn't identify her.  That was fine with her as she wanted to surprise them.  She partially cloaked herself to keep the other ship's sensors confused.  She'd have to hurry up and have her fun though; the others would be waking up soon.

*****

"Have you got an ID yet?" the Captain asked the sensor tech.

"No sir.  For some reason we can't get a lock on 'em.  All we can tell is that they're there and they're closing on us slowly."

"All right crew.  There's probably no need to worry about it, if it were a pirate they would've fired on us by now.  Besides, there hasn't been a real pirate around these parts since the demon Ryoko, and she disappeared a long time ago.  If it's a small time hijacker, we're more than strong enough to take them; if it's someone in trouble, we have to help them."  He turned to the helmsman.  "All stop.  Make us dead in space please."

"Aye sir.  Thrust to zero, engines on standby."  They felt the rumble of thrusters.   "Velocity is now zero sir."

"Very good helm.  Let's see what happens."

*****

The other ship had come to a dead stop.  Ryo-ohki had seen this reaction in prey before, hunting field mice back on Earth, not that she'd ever want to actually _catch_ one, but they were fun to stalk.  They sometimes froze too when they knew they were cornered.  She uncloaked, ran her thrust up to full and swooped in on the Juraian ship, uttering her fiercest battle cry.

"Miiiiyyyyyaaaaawwwrrrrr"

Passing within meters of the freighter's hull, she reengaged her FTL drive and disappeared into hyperspace.

*****

The Captain stared at the viewscreen, hair standing on end and eyes wide.  "Goddess!" he gasped.

"What in Tsunami's hell was that?" asked the watch officer.  He turned to the sensor tech.  "Were you able to ID that… that… that whatever it was?"

"N… no sir.  There're no known matches in the computer.  I'll run it again though, just to make sure."

"Don't bother," said the Captain, still staring at the screen.  "You won't find that ship in any of the ID data banks.  You might find it in the History banks though…  Contact the fleet and the GP.  Tell them the space pirate Ryoko's returned."

*****

Ryoko yawned and stretched, then sneezed.  _How odd, _ she thought.  She rolled over and faced her husband.  "Tenchi," she whispered.  "Tenchi, it's morning.  It's morning and I know what I want for breakfast."  She reached under the blanket.

Brown eyes snapped open, as did a set of red eyes behind him.

"If you mean what I think Ryoko, I'm going to get up and go start a real breakfast," Ayeka said, peering over Tenchi's shoulder.

Ryoko smiled evilly at her, "You don't have to leave princess.  You can join the fun too."

"Uh, girls…" said Tenchi.

"I know that you pirate," Ayeka interrupted him.  "Thank you for the invitation, but not this morning.  You two have your fun, I'll see you at breakfast."  She got up and walked out of the cabin.

Ryoko understood what the princess was leaving unsaid and she appreciated it.  It wasn't as if Tenchi hadn't made love to both of them at the same time before, but sometimes it was nice to be alone with him.  She rolled over on top of her husband.  "Now, where were we?"

*****

Over the next few days Ryo-ohki managed to buzz two more freighters (only one was Juraian) and a GP courier ship.  She was having great fun and Ryoko still didn't know…

*****

Ayeka was sitting in the command chair running a few flight simulations when the alarm sounded.  She'd just started running an intercept sim she'd found and was a little ticked off at the interruption.

"Ryo-ohki, what's the meaning of that noise?" she asked the control crystal.

A viewscreen popped open in front of her with an image of a Juraian battle cruiser that reminded her of her own Ryu-oh.  The words * We're being hailed.  Do you want me to respond? * appeared below the image.

"Yes, Ryo-ohki.  We might as well find out what they want."

* Do you want me to get Ryoko or Tenchi? *

She sighed, wishing that she had a mental link to the cabbit like the other two.  "No, I'll handle this, thank you anyway.  Now open a channel please."

The image of a Juraian naval officer appeared on the screen.  

"SPACE PIRATE RYOKO!  SURRENDER YOURSELF IMMEDI…  Oh!  You're not Ryoko.  In fact you look sort of familiar."

Ayeka glared at the screen, frowning.  The officer's eyes suddenly got real big and he began to sweat.

"Princess Ayeka.  I… I'm sorry.  It's been so long…  Have you been captured by Ryoko?"

This brought a smile to Ayeka's face.  "Sort of, Commander.  It's still a state secret, but with Tsunami's blessing I'm actually married to Ryoko now.  And to Prince Yosho's grandson.  My parents know, as does the Holy Council, but it is not to become general knowledge until the formal ceremony.  Understood?"

"Um, No.  I'm not sure I do.  Could you explain that again?"

The princess gave him a cold stare.  "You don't perchance have any blonde relatives that are GP detectives do you?"

The Commander stuck a finger down his collar and ran it around to loosen it a bit.  "I don't understand…"

"Well, that's certainly stating the obvious.  Just why are you looking for _Princess_ Ryoko anyway?"

"Princess Ryoko?" he muttered.  Then he understood what Ayeka had told him.  The Juraian officer turned white.  "Goddess!" he exclaimed. "I need to sit down."  He took a step back and collapsed heavily in his command chair.

"I'm waiting Commander.  Tell me why you want Ryoko," Ayeka ordered.

The Commander looked up at her image on his screen.  "Well Princess Ayeka, you see it's like this…  Your ship, the Ryo-ohki is it?  has been reported attacking three merchantmen and a GP vessel over the last four days.  Our sector command informed us that the Space Pirate Ryoko had returned and was plundering ships.  We were sent out to stop her."

Ayeka leaned back in her seat.  "I see.  And given Ryoko's well-deserved reputation, it was certainly very brave of you and your crew to face her down like this.  I'll mention that to my father the next time I see him.  But I know for a fact that Ryoko has not attacked anyone for quite some time."

The officer relaxed.  It looked like he might get out of this one alive and maybe even with a commendation.  "Well, if it's not Ryoko, then there's another ship just like the Ryo-ohki flying around here somewhere.  I'd advise you all to be very careful."

"I also know Commander, that there are no other ships like Ryo-ohki.  I personally guarantee it.  So will my father."  Ayeka noticed the main control crystal sneaking away to hide behind some others.  "Wait a moment.  Ryo-ohki, where do you think you're going?  You know something about this, don't you?"

The cabbit's face appeared in the crystal and a smaller screen popped up.  * Who, me? *

"Commander, I don't know what's been going on, but I'm going to find out.  And I'll see to it that she doesn't do it again.  You have my word on that."

The officer breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you Princess Ayeka.  I'll notify my superiors."

"Yes, please do.  Just remember what I told you about my marriage."  She cut the connection.  "Now then," she said, turning back to the cabbit.  "Just what have you been up to?"

* Nothing. *

"All right, call Ryoko to the control room please."

* Ryoko?  Who's Ryoko? *

"Ah ha!" Ayeka cried.  "You have been up to something and you don't want her to know.  If you can assure me that no one's been hurt and tell me what's going on, I promise I won't tell."

* As far as I know, no one's been even slightly injured. *  Ryo-ohki went on to explain everything she'd done.  By the time she was finished Ayeka was in tears from laughing so hard.  

Even Ryo-ohki was in a better mood, * You do understand don't you?  You guys have been having so much fun on this trip that I wanted to have some fun too. *

"Yes, I do.  And I as promised, I won't give you away.  We all deserve a little freedom once in a while.  Just promise me you won't do it again.  Unless you invite me along for the ride that is."

* But you told the Commander…*

"I _implied_ that _you _wouldn't do it again.  But I never said anything about _me_, did I?  Well, what about it?"

* I promise.  Never again, unless you're in the chair there. *

"You got it."

Ayeka was still chuckling when Ryoko entered the cabin a few minutes later.

"What's goin' on princess?  I thought I heard an alarm," the ex-pirate asked.

"Oh, it was nothing Ryoko.  Just Ryo-ohki and I playing a game."

"A game huh?  Ok then I guess."  Ryoko let it pass.

Ayeka got out of the chair and started for the exit.  She patted the main control crystal as she passed it.  "Remember, let me know the next time you feel like playing."

"Miya!" affirmed the cabbit.

"Huh!" Ryoko muttered.  "I wonder what that was all about?"

"Miyeow!" Ryo-ohki stated.

Ryoko chuckled good naturedly at the cabbit face in the crystal, "Shut up you.  Keep it up and you'll be in trouble."

"Miya!" she agreed.

*****

The End of Newlyweds

*****

Author's Notes:

Damn.  Do you know how difficult it was to keep this whole story from turning lemonish?  It is about a honeymoon after all.  It did come close a couple of times though and if that offended you, I'm sorry.  I've decided to stop this story here even though I have enough ideas for a couple more chapters.  But with a few minor plot changes and a little rewriting I think I can put them in The Great Cabbit Search, which I will start writing real soon.

And to all my reviewers, thank you. I'd probably still write without the reviews, but you give me an incentive to push it out faster.  I know I'm not the best author out there, but I enjoy doing this and hope to keep at it for quite a while.


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